Twin planter



E. M. COLE.

TWIN PLANTEB. APPLICATION man JAN. 14. 1920. RENEwEn JUNE 20,1921.

1,388,171. Pand Aug. 23,1921.

, INVENTOR. (//I n A @MW/ BY tg' .ffy/MQ ATTO NEY UNITED STA TES *,PATENT OFFICE.

'EUGENE M. COLE, OE CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA.

TWINv PLANTER.

Specieationof Letters Patent. lhjtented Aug. 23, 1921 Appiication sied January i4, 19,20, serial No. 351,279.k Renewed Juneao', 1921. serial No. 479,085.

To dll wit/)m it may con/cam Beit known that I, EUGENE M; CoLEa citizen vof the United States, residing at Charlotte, in the county ofV Mecklenburg and State ofNorth Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Twin Planters, of which .the following is a specification.

This invention relates to seed planters, and moie .particularly to single row planters having double or rtwin hoppers for contain-- ing two kinds of seeds.

In practice, a farmer often desires to plant two kinds of seed in the same row, or again, different kinds of seed in adjacent or alternate rows, oi' he may wish to plant a number of rows ofzone kind of seed, and then a number'of rows of another kind of seed,etc.

The main. object of the invention, is, therefore, to provide a twin planter having means whereby the operator can set the machine to drop two kinds of seedsimultaneously and continuously,or one kind of seed only, and can immediately` change fromone. kind of seed to the other, at will, the construction being such'that all of theseadjustnients can be made without stopping the planter.

My improved twin .planters are provided with two hoppers and seed dropping mechanisms, arranged to deliver intoA the same furrow opener, and a further and'important object of the invention isr to devise means whereby, when it is desired to drop seed from one hopper' only, the seed dropping mechanism of the .other hopper is thrown out of operation entirely, thus eliminating unnecessary wear. I

With the above objects in view, and to provide a simple, practical and efficient mechanism for carrying out suc-h objects, my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a Aplan view of the two hoppers of my improved twin planter, theseed plate being partly broken away in one hopper and entirely'omittedfrom the other.

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan of the same. Fig; 3 is a central vertical section through the hoppers and driving mechanism parts being in elevation, and

Fig. 4 is a detailed planfview of a supporting bracket, which I'employ.

Referring to the drawings in detail. the two hoppers are designated .at A and B revspectively, and it is understood that these hoppers have associated with them suitable seed boxes (not shown). In the bottom of each hopper is a rotary seed plate l, which may be of any suitable construction, and is preferably heldy in position by means of al the .bottom of the hoppers and extendingl between the same. The plate 8 isprovided with lugs 9, spaced to receive the edges of the bar l() between them, so as to hold the plate securelyV in position;v f

The plate l0 is provided with an lelongated slot l1 through which the bolt 7 passes and in which it may freely slide. It will be seen that the bolt 7 and the slotill are substantially in line with the center bolts 3 ofthe seed plates. l

From the above-it will be apparent that the gear 5 is capable offlateral rectilinear` movement relative to the two gears 4,-and that it may be shifted into and uout of mesh with such gears. It will be observed that all of these gears are 'in the nature of spur gears, and lit will be further noted that they are provided with abnormally long teeth. Portions of the hoppers are cut away, as at 6 (Fig. 2) to provide openings through which the gears 4 and 5may engage. When the' gear 5 is in yits intermediate or middle position shown in Fig. 2, it will be seen that `it is in mesh with both of the gears 4. When shifted to the left, its teeth enter more deeply between the teeth of gear 4 of hopper A, the extent of shifting permitted being sufficient to Cause the entire Withdrawal of the teeth of'igear 5 from mesh with gear 4 of When shifted to either of its extreme positions, one seed plate is driven and the other is idle, and when in its middle position, both seed plates are driven.

In order to shift the gear 5 and hold it in the desired selected position, I provide a link-12piv0ted at one end to the bolt 7 and at the other end to a lever 13. This lever is pivoted at one end, as at 111' to a fixed bracket or support 15, and the other end is 'received in Va kee er 17 havingv three notches 16 as shown. y setting the lever in the intermediate or either end notch, the gear 5 is brought to its intermediate or eitherextreme position as desired.

In order to impart motion tothe driving wheels V5, a power wheel 18 is provided (see Fig.V 3). This wheel, which has been omitted from Fig. 2'for the sake of clear-ness, is mounted on the squared end of an inclined i shaft 19 extending at right angles to a line connecting the axes of the hoppers, and dis.- posed centrally of and below the same. The gear 18 is located immediately between and adjacent the plate 8-at an 'angle to ,the gear 5, but in mesh with the same. It will be particularly noted, that owing'to the relative position of the parts, and the peculiar shape 0f the teeth, the gear 5 remains in mesh with the power gear 18 in all of the vvpositions, to whichfthe gear 5 may be shifted. v

The shaft 19 is Vjournaled in a bracket 20 carried by a hanger 2 1. secured to the hoppers. Also attached'to thehanger 21 is a brace 22 overlying the gear 5 iand provided with an elongated slot 23, through which the bolt 7 works. The brace 22 is provided with lugs 24 for engaging the hanger 21, whereby the parts are securely held.

The lower end of shaft 19 is joiirnaled in a casing 25, and has slidably mounted thereona beveled gear 26. This gear 26v meshes with ra 'second gear 27- which is `suitably driven from the groundwheel of the planter. In order to disconnect the seed dropping mechanism entirely from the ground wheel, the gear 26 is shifted out ofmesh with the gear 27 by means of a lever28 pivoted at 29 to a fixed support.'4

In practice the two hoppers will be so mounted on the planter frame,vthat a line passing through their axes will lie at right angles to the furrow. In other words the hoppers extend transversely of the furrow, the shaft 19 extending longitudinally of the furrow. By virtue of this arrangement, both hoppers are at all times in full view of the operator, who is thus ableto watch the working thereof. .1

What I claim is Y i 1. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a pair of operating gears, of a driving gear mounted between the operating gears, and means for shifting said driving-gear laterally,in its own plane,

intomesh with either one of the operating gears, or simultaneously with both of said gears, as desired. n 2. In apparatus of the class described, the

combination with a pair of operating gears, Y

when in an intermediate position, meshing with both said operating gears.

3. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a pair of operating gears, of a driving gear, means for shifting said driving gear laterally in its own plane into positions where it meshes selectively with either one or both of said operating'gears, and a power gear meshing with said driving gear in all of its positions. I'

4. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a pair of Voperating gears, of a driving gear mounted between the operating gears, all of said gears lying in substantially the same plane, and means for. shifting said driving gear laterally into ay position where it mesheswith both operating gears simultaneously, or intor ypositions where itfmeshes with*V either one of said gears, only. Y

5. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a pair of operating gears, of a driving gear mounted between the operating gears, all of said gears lying in substantially the same plane, means' for shifting saidV driving gear laterally by a rectilinear movement into positions where it meshes selectively with eitherY vone orl both of said operating gears,and a power gear `meshing with said driving gear in all of its positions. Y

6. In. apparatus of the class describechthe combination with a pair of operating gears,

of a driving gear mounted between the'. operating gears, all of said gears lying iny substantially the same plane, and means for shifting said driving gear laterally by a rectilinear movement to cause it to mesh with either one or both of operating plate gears as desired. p

7. Inapparatiis of the class described, the combination withV a pair of operating gearsv of a driving gear Vmountedv between the operating gears, all of said gears lying in substantially the same plane, and 'mean's for shifting said driving gear laterally in a line passing through thel axes of all three gears to cause said `driving gear to mesh with either one or both of said operating gears,

as desired.

In testimony whereof I'aiix my signature.

EUGENE M. COLE. 

